Twenty Inches of Snow Bring Seattle to a Standstill

The extreme cold of Tuesday was followed by another heavy snowstorm, lasting all night and nearly all day yesterday, until there were twenty inches of snow on the level, which has practically suspended traffic. Nearly all the street car lines were blocked last night, and foot travel is so badly impeded that the schools will have to shut down today. The temperature rose considerably yesterday, but still it was very cold for this climate. There is no possibility of the water pipes being gotten in condition for some time to come, and probably half the inhabitants of the city are compelled to melt snow for their water supply. To add to the hardships of the situation, there is danger of a coal famine, the railroads being so nearly blocked that it is with the greatest difficulty they get any freight through at all.

Tuesday night the temperature began rising, and about 12 o'clock a heavy snow began falling, which continued at intervals all day Wednesday. Alpheus Evers' official weather observations for the twenty-four hours preceding 5 o'clock last showed: Maximum temperature 26, minimum 19, mean 22.5, snowfall 15 inches, being equal to 1.85 of an inch of rain fall; wind, north; cloudy weather. This shows a much higher temperature than for the preceding day, but the heavy snowfall, aided by what was previously on the ground, made the streets well nigh impassable. But few teams were on the streets aside from those engaged hauling coal, and not many people were moving about; those who found it convenient sat by a warm fire.

The only street car lines running in the city last night were the James street cable, this end of the Madison street cable, the Yesler avenue cable and the electric lines of the Seattle Consolidated, with the exception of the Lake street line. But all the companies were making preparations last night to open their lines this morning and expected to be able to get their cars started at an early hour.

The Yesler avenue line was opened yesterday morning with a snowplow which was drawn behind a dummy. On the plow were seated two men with hoes, which they dragged along just inside the edge of the rails to loosen the snow for the flange of the wheels. This was done at 5 o'clock, so that by 6 the track was all ready for the resumption of traffic. The Consolidated Company kept a big plow running all day and this way managed to keep all of its lines open, with the exception of the Lake street line. It took three cars to push the plow along and it was transferred from one line to the other in regular order. The company does not contemplate making any attempt to open the Lake street line until the weather changes so that its other lines will give no further trouble. The Lake Washington end of the Madison street cable line was shut down owing to the contraction of the yokes so that the slot became too narrow for the grip to run in. The slot will have to be wedged so as to spring the yokes back. This will delay the resumption of traffic on that end of the line for several hours, but the company expects to get it open some time today at the furthest. The city end of the line was kept open with considerable difficulty yesterday. The Front street cable line had to shut down last night on account of the slot closing in the same way, but the company expects to have it open today all right.

On the Grant street electric line a snow plow was kept running all Tuesday night, but it broke down early yesterday morning, and then the cars had to stop running. It was being repaired last night, and will be put to work early this morning, so that the line will be open for traffic at the regular hour of starting the cars. The Third street line was shut down, but a big snow plow was built last night, and will be run out over the track by means of ten horses this morning and the line put in shape for operation. The Walla Walla branch of the trunk lines was opened yesterday, but it was found impossible to keep it open without a snow plow; one was made last night, and the company expects to have all its lines in operation by 9 o'clock this morning. The only line it was operating last night was the James street cable. The West street line will be opened this morning with a big steel plow the company was building last night. The West Seattle cable line has been shut down for several days, and the ferryboat is making very poor time, having to use salt water in her boilers, which causes fast an overflow in addition to the delays.

But very few of the smaller boats made their regular trips yesterday. There was very little trade at best end besides it was blowing a fearful gale out on the Sound. Steamer Quickstep reported a boom of logs having been seen off Alki point as she was coming in. The boom was all broken and the logs were being tossed about in every direction. The boat had quite a time getting through them.

Capt. Collins, of the steamer Utsalady, which was wrecked on Monday evening near Twelve-Mile point coming in, was in the city yesterday, and stated that the boat was not completely wrecked as reported. But her house has been knocked off and she is lying on the beach. She had on 1,000 sacks of oats, belonging to a firm in Anacortes, and they were all lost. They had not been sold, so the consignor will be the loser. The way the boat come to go ashore was the accumulation of ice on her stern coming across from Kingston, so she had to be run on the beach to avoid sinking outside. She grounded in three feet of water so that all the crew waded ashore, but two of the men had their fingers frozen. They were terribly chilled when they reached a house where they could get warm.

Superintendent Barnard said last night that the schools would be closed today, owing to the hardship on children attending. Besides, the water pipes are frozen up in many of the school buildings and there is no water supply.